Preliminary Report on Field Campaign 2001
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BABesch 77 (2002) The Potenza Valley Survey: Preliminary Report on Field Campaign 2001 Frank Vermeulen, Patrick Monsieur & Catharina Boullart THE PVS-PROJECT same excellent results as were obtained during flights in May 2000, but they nevertheless In January 2000 the Department of Archaeology at extended our collection of slides and photographs Ghent University initiated a new survey project in to a total of some 1500 oblique aerial images. The Italy, titled ‘The Potenza Valley Survey. From Accul- number of processed sites in the inventory, where turation to Social Complexity in Antiquity: A Regional possible ancient field structures (such as lines, Geo-Archaeological and Historical Approach’.1 Thanks patches and dots) appear, reaches now about 200 to the acquisition of additional financial support2 units. Again some of these features have already we will be able to prolong this research program been checked in the field, or coincide with areas at least until 2006. The aims and methods of this within our second transect of intensive field- long term-project, as well as the results of the first walking (see further). It still remains impossible field campaigns in May and September 2000, to attach a chronological value to many of the have been published in BABesch.3 In this report structures without further field checks or even we will present some preliminary results of a excavations. Still, in almost 1/3 of all cases checked major part of the aerial photography and the on the ground a first chronological indication is fieldwork of 2001, as well as a first evaluation of available.5 the study of the finds. The project’s survey-area Again most sites were visible as soil marks, remains constricted to the circa 80 km long valley foremost observed during September-flights in of the river Potenza in Adriatic Central-Italy the ploughed fields of the area of intensive field- (Marche). walking near Treia (see further). As most of them As the new financial support has been coincide well with concentrations of settlement obtained within the framework of an interna- debris on the surface, a first chronological evalu- tional research program, which focuses on Late ation is possible. A majority of these seem to Antiquity (3rd-7th century), very special attention belong to the more visible Roman period, but also will in the future be paid to this particular period. pre- and protohistoric sites and even medieval Nevertheless the original aim to measure long- ones were detected or confirmed in this way. The term evolutions and changes between 1000 BC easy observation of these darker greyish brown and 1000 AD will generally be sustained. As has patches in the ploughed soil, is probably the been emphasized elsewhere, it is precisely such a result of a combination of ploughed up occupation long-term view, which allows to place the devel- layers, zones with locally more organic substance opments of ancient society in a sufficiently broad in the upper layers and humidity traces caused perspective. Still, other periods are not ignored, by differential drying of the soil in some archae- and it is intended that the analysis of the survey ological zones. Sometimes, they are revealed by results will range across the whole period of the very extensive surface erosion in this undulat- human settlement. ing landscape. Generally these settlement traces are seen as large irregular patches, but especially ACTIVE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY in the case of some Roman villas and farms, lin- ear features, probably indicating local entrance The photographic detection of sites and off-site roads and maybe some buildings, were observed. phenomena within the PVS-project concerns the A typical isolated soil mark of irregular shape, whole Potenza valley, which is photographed observed on a small but pronounced hilltop near from a low-flying aircraft during regular flights in S. Maria in Selva (fig. 1), could after ground inspec- different seasons. In 2001 this activity was concen- tion be interpreted as a medieval site (circa 10th-13th trated in summer (July) and early fall (September).4 century). Here we discovered a very dense con- Since harvest takes place rather early in this centration of potsherds, fragments of tiles, many region of Italy, the July-flights did not produce the animal bones in good condition and a fair num- 49 Fig. 1. Soilmarks on a medieval site near S. Maria in Selva. Fig. 2. Cropmarks of a Roman road (to Urbs Salvia ?) and possible funerary monuments southwest of Potentia. ber of fragments of medieval bricks, sandstone boulders and some spolia (e.g. marble crustae) from a Roman site nearby. This discovery proves the validity of aerially detected irregular soil marks of (early) medieval sites, which generally are hard to trace in this incastellamento-landscape. The potential for observing crop marks in this still very agrarian landscape was again con- firmed. Especially in the area of the river mouth, which will be the focus of more intense flying in the spring of 2002, the results were good. New details were added to sites already discovered during earlier work in the area. Such is the case with a major protohistoric site at Montarice, on a promontory north of the river mouth. In a field of sunflowers were revealed different linear traces, some of which probably belong to the ancient enclosure of this imposing site. A short field check of the general topography and of some of the internal traces and spots indicates that this site with known Bronze age occupation,6 was no 50 Fig. 3. Shadowmarks produced by differential tree-growth on the early medieval hilltop-site of Monte Gista. doubt also very important in Iron Age and Roman Aerial detection can be very complementary to times. Possibly this circa 4 ha large oppidum-like historical research here, as was clearly demon- structure had a role to play in the control of the strated by the images produced from the air of river mouth and the Adriatic shore by a local some Longobardian or other early medieval cas- Piceni-elite. It was further possibly the emplace- tles and hilltop-sites. ment of a well-situated Roman villa.7 Upland sites visible in woodland, like on the Good results with detecting crop marks were Monte Gista (Fiuminata), whose concentric defense also obtained on the site of the Roman town of system was clearly revealed, can now be studied Potentia, some distance south of the actual river with more detail (fig. 3). This is also the case with mouth of the Potenza. Again new traces of the the spectacular shadow marks of the protohistoric colony’s street grid were revealed and mapped. ritual (?) and settlement site, known from earlier Surprising was also the discovery of some sub- discoveries8 on the Monte Primo, near Camerino. urban infrastructure. Along a road leading out of New aerial views imposed a second visit of our the ancient town in a south-westerly direction, team (backed by geomorphologists) to this top-site which we discovered last year, we now noticed overlooking the Upper Potenza valley,9 primarily several small rectangular cropmarks disposed to investigate two aspects. Firstly we studied in neatly along this ancient track (fig. 2). An identi- detail the circular discolorations, which we had fication as possible funerary monuments, con- spotted in 2000. We can now state that they do structed parallel with the road, seems most likely. not indicate ancient funerary monuments, but A third type of marks, shadow marks, were that the strange differential growth of grasses is encountered only in a limited number of areas. the result of particular conditions of humidity Such traces, particularly associated with earth- and that they are a natural phenomenon.10 works and human adaptations of the relief, seem Secondly, we traced the exact location of the to occur especially in the mountainous landscapes, major late Bronze Age circumvallations by means where the thick forest cover or the permanent of a handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) grasslands have conserved ancient features well. instrument. We remarked that part of the outer 51 Fig. 4. Ground checking of the remains of a possible limestone quarry on the protohistoric hillsite of Monte Primo. Fig. 5. Fieldwalking in the area of Treia. 52 Fig. 6. General map with results of fieldwalking during the 2001 campaign. enclosure was connected with a possible ancient of this kind of intensive field survey is its ability limestone-quarry (fig. 4). Furthermore it is inter- to shed light on long-term changes in settlement esting, but sad, to notice that we had to ascertain pattern and land use. the enlargement of the tombaroli-pit about which The area investigated during the September we already reported last year.11 Once again proto- 2001 campaign (3 weeks) is situated in the middle historic potsherds and bone fragments, left by the valley of the Potenza, immediately west of Passo looters, were present in abundance. di Treia. The topography of this landscape, situated at some 30 km from the Adriatic shore, is essen- FIELD CAMPAIGN IN THE TREIA AREA tially of Miocene and Pliocene origin. The hilly area, situated generally between 250 and 350 m, As has been announced in last year’s report12 the consists of dorsal ridges alternating with small and intensive field surveys are only being carried out sometimes deeply incised secondary valleys, in 3 large sample zones. They are transects of some which are connected with the east-west oriented 9 to 25 km each, systematically spaced at regular Potenza valley. The still very agrarian open land- intervals across the c. 80 km long region of the scape with dispersed rural units, groups its popu- Potenza Valley.